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Judiciary hears bill to abrogate Wyoming Supreme Court ruling that recognized duty in negligent investigations
Summary
House Bill 53 would overturn a recent Wyoming Supreme Court ruling (the Briggs decision) that recognized a common-law duty for investigating officers to suspects; law enforcement and civil-rights attorneys testified with sharply different views; no committee vote was taken.
CHEYENNE — The House Judiciary Committee on Monday heard testimony on House Bill 53, which would abrogate a 2024 Wyoming Supreme Court ruling known in committee discussion as the Briggs decision. The decision, the committee was told, recognized a common-law duty for investigating peace officers to investigate non-negligently in a way that the bill’s backers say should be set by the legislature rather than created by the courts.
Chairman Wieschmidt summarized the legal concern: the supreme court’s split ruling created a duty between an investigating officer and a suspect that some committee members and law enforcement officials say is unique among states and raises practical concerns for investigators and prosecutors.
Alan Thompson, executive director of the Wyoming Association…
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